Chapter 144: Break At The Shop

"For everyone?" She asked, pointing at the bag.

"Yes, everyone." Ethan gave her a sideways glance. "Don’t tell me you were hoping I’d bought all of these for you."

Nora pressed her lips together, then looked away. "I wasn’t!"

"Really? That’s a shame. I was thinking of giving you an extra packet."

Her head snapped back toward him. "You were?"

Ethan burst out laughing at her reaction. "I’m joking! Here, take one."

He handed her a packet of candy before placing the bag on the back seat. Nora accepted it with a delighted smile, immediately tearing open the wrapper as he drove toward the shop.

When they arrived, Ethan carried the shopping bag inside. Evelyn looked up from the counter, surprised to see him returning with Nora and a bag full of refreshments.

"What’s all that?" She asked, walking over to him.

"Just a little something for everyone." Ethan placed the bag on the counter and began taking out the drinks and candy. "We’ve been working hard lately, so I thought we could use a short break."

Cassandra, who had been arranging some oranges, turned around at the mention of a break. "Are you serious?"

"Of course. We can spare half an hour."

Gilbert appeared from the fruit juice shop just as Ethan was distributing the drinks. Maya followed him inside, wiping her hands on a small towel.

"What’s happening here?" Gilbert asked, looking at the bottles on the counter.

"Free drinks," Ethan replied, handing him one. "Come and collect yours before they run out."

Gilbert accepted the bottle with a grin. "Now you’re talking!"

Maya took one as well, thanking Ethan before settling beside Gilbert. Nora had already claimed a spot near Evelyn, happily eating her candy while listening to the adults talk.

"Thanks, Ethan," Gilbert said after taking a sip. "I needed this. We’ve been running around all day next door."

"No problem. Just don’t spend the entire break drinking and leave me to do all the work."

Gilbert laughed. "I’ll try my best."

"That’s not very reassuring," Ethan replied, shaking his head.

The others laughed, and the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed. With the customers temporarily gone, everyone gathered around the counter, enjoying their refreshments and chatting about whatever came to mind.

At some point, the conversation shifted toward Gilbert and Maya’s relationship.

"So, how did you two actually meet?" Cassandra asked, looking between them. "You always seem so comfortable together. I’m curious about how it started."

Maya glanced at Gilbert, who was busy opening his drink. A smile tugged at her lips.

"We met in college," She explained. "Although, if you ask me, he was far too full of himself back then."

Gilbert nearly choked on his drink. "What? I wasn’t!"

"You absolutely were." Maya turned toward the others, looking increasingly amused. "He was the best baseball player in our college. Everyone knew him, and he loved the attention."

"What’s wrong with being good at something?" Gilbert protested, lowering his bottle. "I worked hard for it."

"I’m not saying you didn’t." Maya nudged his arm. "I’m saying you knew you were good, and you made sure everyone else knew it too."

Cassandra laughed while Evelyn covered her mouth with one hand. Even Ethan smiled as Gilbert shook his head, apparently regretting that he’d allowed his girlfriend to start telling stories about their college days.

"Anyway," Maya continued, "I was a cheerleader, and our teams participated in a lot of the same events. Whenever Gilbert played, people would start shouting my name from the stands, even when I wasn’t the one performing."

Gilbert scratched his cheek. "They were just having fun."

"Fun?" Maya gave him a look. "They kept saying we would make a perfect couple. Some people even asked me when we were getting married!"

That earned another round of laughter.

Ethan leaned against the counter, watching Gilbert’s increasingly uncomfortable expression. "So, everyone had already decided you two belonged together before you even started dating?"

"Pretty much," Maya replied. "At first, we barely spoke outside college events. He was always surrounded by his teammates, and I had my own friends. But whenever we crossed paths, he’d find some excuse to talk to me."

Gilbert cleared his throat. "I was just being friendly."

"Yes, very friendly." Maya smiled sweetly at him. "You once came all the way to the cheerleaders’ practice just to ask whether I’d watched your game."

"Because you hadn’t come to the previous one!" He argued.

"And how did you know I hadn’t come?"

Gilbert opened his mouth, then closed it again.

The others burst into laughter.

Ethan shook his head, grinning. "You walked right into that one, brother."

"Can you all let me explain?" Gilbert protested, raising both hands. "I liked her, all right? There, I’ve said it. I liked her, and I wanted her to watch me play. Is that such a crime?"

Maya’s expression softened, and she leaned against his shoulder. "See? Was that so difficult?"

He glanced at her before wrapping an arm around her waist. "You’re enjoying this far too much."

"Of course I am. I don’t get to embarrass you in front of an audience every day."

Cassandra laughed so hard that she had to put her drink down. Evelyn smiled at the couple, while Nora looked between them with open curiosity.

"So, who asked the other person out first?" Evelyn asked.

Maya pointed at Gilbert without hesitation. "He did."

Gilbert nodded. "I did. After months of listening to our classmates tease us, I figured I might as well find out whether we actually had a chance together."

"And what did you say?" Cassandra asked Maya.

Maya shrugged. "I told him I’d think about it."

Gilbert stared at her. "You made me wait for three days!"

Maya burst out laughing. "Because I wanted to see whether you were serious! You were always surrounded by girls, and I didn’t want to be another person you dated for a few weeks before moving on."

"And I told you I wasn’t interested in anyone else."

"Yes, and I eventually believed you."

Gilbert shook his head, but his arm remained firmly around her waist. "Those three days nearly drove me crazy."

"Well, you survived." Maya tilted her head and kissed his cheek. "And look where we are now."

Gilbert’s expression changed immediately. He smiled at her, and for a brief moment, the teasing around them faded into the background.

Ethan watched the exchange with a faint smile. It was easy to see that their relationship had grown beyond the excitement of college romance. They were comfortable with each other, unafraid to joke about their past, and equally willing to stand by each other in the present.

"So, the classmates who kept shipping you together were right after all," Cassandra remarked.

Maya nodded. "They were. Some of them still remind us about it whenever we meet."

"At least they can say they helped bring you two together," Evelyn added.

Gilbert laughed. "Don’t let them hear you say that. They’ll start demanding credit for our relationship."

"Maybe we should send them wedding invitations when the time comes," Maya replied, giving him a playful nudge.

Gilbert turned toward her. "Now you’re getting ahead of yourself."

"Oh? Are you saying you don’t intend to marry me?" She asked with a dangerous smile.

He froze.

The others immediately burst into laughter again, while Gilbert looked at Maya as though she’d just set a trap he hadn’t seen coming.

"Wait, hold on. That’s not what I said!"

Maya laughed and leaned against him. "Relax. I’m teasing you."

Ethan shook his head, reaching for his drink. "You two are entertaining. I should have brought popcorn instead of candy."

"Brother Ethan, please don’t encourage her!" Gilbert complained.

Ethan laughed softly. "Sorry, I can’t help you. I’m on her side."

Maya grinned triumphantly, and Gilbert let out a long sigh as everyone laughed around him.

The half-hour break passed quickly. Eventually, Ethan checked the time and clapped his hands once to get everyone’s attention.

"All right, everyone. Break’s over. Let’s finish up so we can close early."

Gilbert stood and stretched his arms. "Already? We were just getting to the good part."

"You can continue your love story tomorrow," Ethan replied. "Now, go back to work."